parabolic or sky-tree

H and I were in the Taunus recently and afforded a rather close-up view of one of the other-worldly structures, a television tower, that one generally just sees from a great distance and in passing, are usually perched on high, remote promontories like a bucket-brigade of relays.

With satellite cities and other ad hoc methods so prevalent, I wondered if such landmarks were not relics of an older age. I remember being amazing with the installation my uncle assembled in his backyard, to liberate his family from cable television and the paucity of broadcast channels, and though much smaller and subject to some regulation (and with growing alternatives), I thought the trend just continued a-pace.

I was puzzled with the recently finished superlative in Japan, the landmark Tokyo Sky-Tree, a broadcasting tower, and second tallest manmade structure in the world. Being number-one is a very transitive and sometimes subjective thing to achieve, for however long one can hold the title—and it was not a cathedral, after all, one of the more tenacious title-holders. I learned, however, more than just feeding signals to car radios, these towers are still quite functional, thanks in part to an evolving middle-manship when it comes to the airwaves.  Transponders originally rose above the landscape to surmount natural obstacles, but high-rises and the interference from climbing electronic smog create new reasons to take a commanding position.  I am sure such a view of the city below is worth the effort as well.